• Ocean

Hurricanes Benefit Mangroves in Florida’s Everglades

• 30 by 30
• biodiversity
• mangroves

Hurricanes can bring sheer destruction to coastal communities like causing elevated sea level, known as storm surge, extensive shoreline erosion, destruction to reefs, and other geologic effects leading to the loss of property and life. However, a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has revealed that hurricanes may actually […]

• Animals

Pablo Escobar’s Hippos, Friend or Foe for Colombia’s Ecosystem?

• 30 by 30
• biodiversity
• Colombia
• invasive species

While many of us have probably read about Pablo Escobar’s hippos that escaped his zoo, it’s been unclear to biologists what sort of impact the hippos have had on Colombian ecosystems. There are currently 80-100 animals in the Magdalena River and researchers estimate that in 20-40 years there could be thousands. As NatGeo explained, for […]

• People

The Growing Movement to Grant Legal Rights for Nature

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• biodiversity
• indigenous communities
• nature

The rapid degradation of nature driven by human activity is forcing indigenous leaders and activists to push for nature having rights that are enshrined in law.

It’s not a new idea, but one that could be important for global conservation.

• Animals

Most Earthworms Are Invasive, What Does that Mean for Ecosystems?

• 30 by 30
• biodiversity
• earthworms
• invasive species
• soil

We generally think of earthworms as beneficial and essential to healthy soils–and in many ways they are! But did you know that much of the United States isn’t actually supposed to have any earthworms? As the Atlantic reported, “Until about 10,000 years ago, a vast ice sheet covered the northern third of the North American […]

• Animals

Acidifying Oceans Could Dissolve Shark Scales

• biodiversity
• conservation
• sharks

South African researchers published a new study showing that increasing concentrations of CO2 in the ocean are damaging shark scales, known as denticles.

Why This Matters: These scales protect sharks and allow them their unique ability to move through the water.

• Animals

10 (!) New Bird Species Discovered in Indonesia

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• biodiversity
• birds
• Indonesia

Discovering new species is always exciting but researchers in Indonesia have made a species discovery that’s setting records. As NatGeo reported, In the past two decades, an average of fewer than six new bird species have been described every year in the entire world. But 2020 will be different, as scientists have just announced 10 […]

• Politics

Climate Change Changing The Meaning of “Invasive Species”

• 30 by 30
• biodiversity
• non-native species

As climate change warms our planet and ecosystems respond, the definition for native and invasive species is becoming increasingly blurred. As Yale E360 wrote, “Across the warming globe, a mass exodus of tens of thousands of species is transforming the distribution of biodiversity — and challenging fundamental tenets in conservation policy and science.  In recent […]

• Animals

A Very Sexually Active Galapagos Tortoise Helps Save His Species

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• biodiversity
• Galapagos Islands
• giant tortoise

There’s no summing up CNN’s reporting on this story, you have to read for yourself: “A womanizing tortoise whose rampant sex life may have single-handedly saved his entire species from extinction has retired from his playboy lifestyle, returning to the wild with his mission accomplished.” The playboy in the story is Diego, the giant Galapagos […]

• Politics

Climate Change Cripples the Great Monarch Migration

• biodiversity
• butterflies
• insects

The North American migration of monarch butterflies is truly extraordinary. The 3,000-mile journey from Canada to Mexico draws spectators from around the world to behold its magic. In fact, in Mexican folklore, the butterflies are believed to carry the souls of loved ones. But although their migration and entire lives depend on adapting to climate, […]

• Forests

Australia’s Burned Forests Pose Immense Economic Risk

• Australia
• biodiversity
• Forests
• trees
• wildfires

Australia’s wildfires have been devastating for wildlife and people alike but there’s another casualty that’s been largely overlooked in media coverage: its forests.

Why This Matters: Forestry groups worry about the immense economic/ecological impact of the burned forests.

• Animals

Scientists Unveil a Roadmap to Stop Insect Extinction Crisis

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• biodiversity
• insects

In 2019 we learned that the world’s insects are facing an extinction crisis: more than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered. When insects disappear, entire ecosystems suffer as a result. That’s why more than 70 scientists from around the world have put together a new “roadmap to insect recovery” that […]

• Animals

Top Stories of 2019: Our Impact on Wildlife

• 30 by 30
• biodiversity
• conservation

It wasn’t news in 2019 that humans are pushing animals to the brink. However, a landmark report released in May ran the alarm bells: 1 million species are at risk of extinction unless we take drastic action to reverse our actions.